NASA’s long-awaited Mars mission, ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), is finally gaining momentum. The twin probes, built by Rocket Lab, are now scheduled to launch on the second-ever flight of New Glenn rocket in late August from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Originally planned for late spring, the mission has been delayed, with Blue Origin citing a need to prepare the booster for its first-ever landing and recovery. The ESCAPADE probes, dubbed Blue and Gold, will study the Martian magnetosphere, analyzing how Mars’ magnetic field guides particle flows around the planet and transport energy from the solar wind.
The mission is part of NASA’s $80 million endeavor, managed by the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. The spacecraft will also carry a technology demonstration for Viasat, a satellite-communications company.
“This will be an exciting mission for New Glenn and Mars exploration,” said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp. “Mars, here we come.”
The ESCAPADE mission aims to reveal the planet’s real-time response to space weather and how the Martian magnetosphere changes over time. With its successful debut on January 15, New Glenn has proven itself as a reliable launch vehicle, carrying a test version of Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft platform to Earth orbit.
This marks a significant step forward for NASA’s Mars exploration program, with ESCAPADE poised to take center stage in the coming months.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/twin-nasa-mars-probes-will-fly-on-2nd-ever-launch-of-blue-origins-huge-new-glenn-rocket